New ATH - M50

After talking with the people here, i decided to get the ATH-M50

It's actually my first true nice sounding headphones as my previous one was just an ATH-SJ3 that was bought for pure design :P

I now have it with me but I haven't listened to it yet

I'm scared that once I listen to it, I would fall into the headfi trap :P

(Actually, my music player is drained and I can't charge it)

Anyway, just a question

it's a straight cable type, and I was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to make it more portable?

The cable is quite long for me to use on a source located on my pocket

Speaking of source, the guy who sent me my ATH-M50 (my uncle) also sent me a 3rd gen iPod Touch,

it's going to be my primary portable source and I was wondering if a Fiio E5 + LOD would do wonders for it?

Lastly,

Fiio E5 + LOD is my first choice, but I could also purchase a Fiio E1 (the amp made for ipods) would you guys know which one is a better choice for my set up?

additional notes:

the music that i'm listening to is quite varied, it ranges from hip hop/r&b to japanese and korean pop.

Looking forward once again to the great tips and advices that people here can give.

[So that people would not have to scroll]

Quick look:

Likes:

Sound quality is good (especially for the price)

Nice build

Cables are thick and seem to be durable.

Dislikes:

The Cable length is too long

Does have some clamp that could make your head hurt.

First off, I like the sound of the ATH-M50.

I like it so much that I regretted ripping my music to 112 kbps back then. Before, I was not able to notice it at all, since my speakers/earphones/headphones didn't really pick up too much changes, but now I do. I can hear muddled sounds and hearing hissing at some parts.

On the other hand, nicely ripped music, the 320kbps ones, FLAC, and AAC all sound quite crisp. I could now hear some sounds that I was not able to hear distinctly before.

I had a concert album rip of a japanese group, and I swear it was the first time I heard a cheer from the crowd in a certain part of the song. (And I had that file for quite a few years now)

(although i've been testing out between FLAC and 320 and I have no idea which is which, but I digress)

Of course, you should know that I'm only comparing it with an ATH-SJ3, my friend's Sennheiser HD 225, my stock phones, and some cheap sennheiser earphones, (one costs around 10$ while the other around 12$ I forgot the name)  so maybe it should sound nice because it's a tad more expensive than all my other points of reference.

The build quality:

As you can see from my reference, this would really stand out. This may not be much of a comparison for some audiophiles, but if you are a newbie like me, then you would really notice and enjoy the seemingly durable frame.

The cable thickness:

The cables for the ATH-M50 are thick, especially when you compare it with the phones that I compared it with :D

Similar with build quality, i find it more reassurring that the cable seems thicker. It gives me a bit more confidence that it won't break down on me, like my ATH-SJ3 :D

Dislikes:

For me, the cable length is a tad too long :D I would have wished that they had allowed replacement cables through a jack or something. I got a straight cable type and i think it's around 10 feet? it's a bit difficult for people who may want to use it on the go (like i do)

However, I did ask around and just copied some tips on using velcro strips to bunch up the cords a bit.

of course, this would then be a bit bulky since the wires are quite thick.I'm the type who wears the cables under the shirt, and well you can really notice the bulge at the waist area :D

The headphones also have quite a bit of clamp on your head at least for the first few uses. I had a difficult time with it at first, and needed to take it out after a couple of hours of listening or so. But, it tends to get better after a few days.

Notes:

Burning in:

I have no idea about burning in to be honest about it. However, I do feel that your brain needs to register to the sound of the ATH-m50 first. Yes, it sounds nice out of the  box but it tends to get better after a few days of listening. I'm not sure if I would attribute it to burn in, but as i said I think that it's my brain and auditory functions adjusting to the strengths (and weaknesses) of the headphones.

Music choices,

I've been listening to some korean idol music with it,  (g.o.d., G-Dragon, Big Bang, Kara, among others) and it's coming off pretty well. They are usually electronic music types with lots of synthesized sounds, rhythmic beats,  and a sudden vocal explosion at the end, and it's been great.

I also listen to classical music with it (rachmaninoff, mozart), and well I think they are more suited for the electronic types. I can't put my finger on it, but it just sounds a bit dilluted? ( i really have no idea how to describe it)

Then again it may just be me :D

I hope people would find this helpful :)

Thanks for the tips, time to buy some velcro strips :D

Yeah i think the E1 would be a great option just for the fact that I would have buttons to touch, if there's one thing that frustrates me with a touch screen player, it's the difficulty to change music/volume on the fly,

Quote:

Originally Posted by attika89 
.

BTW  I dont understand why do people ignore the appreciation thread...there threads like this all over the full-size forum..I think its totally useless to create a new thread...

 

Dont get me wrong I'm not against the OP, but it'd more useful (especially for those who are considering to buy one of these) to collect the impressions in one single thread...

Hey no offense taken or anything :)

I personally find streaming through dozens of pages for a specific setup to be quite burdensome

this is especially true for a very famous headphone such as the M50.

(of course, i did read up on some appreciation threads too)

I think it can be quite confusing since there are various setups that you would have to consider?

one user's question for of a certain setup or type of music for a specific headphone would be a bit difficult with all the other posts packed in

Anyway,

I'm listening to them now, and i really enjoy them

they definitely sound much better than the SJ3s :D

Ok, since the community was very helpful to me, I think I should try to add to that by providing a short review.

I'm pretty sure, some beginner would search for reviews on this headphones, and hopefully they'd find this and help them. (I'm also too lazy to do any work).

Quick look:

Likes:

Sound quality is good (especially for the price)

Nice build

Cables are thick and seem to be durable.

Dislikes:

The Cable length is too long

Does have some clamp that could make your head hurt.

First off, I like the sound of the ATH-M50.

I like it so much that I regretted ripping my music to 112 kbps back then. Before, I was not able to notice it at all, since my speakers/earphones/headphones didn't really pick up too much changes, but now I do. I can hear muddled sounds and hearing hissing at some parts.

On the other hand, nicely ripped music, the 320kbps ones, FLAC, and AAC all sound quite crisp. I could now hear some sounds that I was not able to hear distinctly before.

I had a concert album rip of a japanese group, and I swear it was the first time I heard a cheer from the crowd in a certain part of the song. (And I had that file for quite a few years now)

(although i've been testing out between FLAC and 320 and I have no idea which is which, but I digress)

Of course, you should know that I'm only comparing it with an ATH-SJ3, my friend's Sennheiser HD 225, my stock phones, and some cheap sennheiser earphones, (one costs around 10$ while the other around 12$ I forgot the name)  so maybe it should sound nice because it's a tad more expensive than all my other points of reference.

The build quality:

As you can see from my reference, this would really stand out. This may not be much of a comparison for some audiophiles, but if you are a newbie like me, then you would really notice and enjoy the seemingly durable frame.

The cable thickness:

The cables for the ATH-M50 are thick, especially when you compare it with the phones that I compared it with :D

Similar with build quality, i find it more reassurring that the cable seems thicker. It gives me a bit more confidence that it won't break down on me, like my ATH-SJ3 :D

Dislikes:

For me, the cable length is a tad too long :D I would have wished that they had allowed replacement cables through a jack or something. I got a straight cable type and i think it's around 10 feet? it's a bit difficult for people who may want to use it on the go (like i do)

However, I did ask around and just copied some tips on using velcro strips to bunch up the cords a bit.

of course, this would then be a bit bulky since the wires are quite thick.I'm the type who wears the cables under the shirt, and well you can really notice the bulge at the waist area :D

The headphones also have quite a bit of clamp on your head at least for the first few uses. I had a difficult time with it at first, and needed to take it out after a couple of hours of listening or so. But, it tends to get better after a few days.

Notes:

Burning in:

I have no idea about burning in to be honest about it. However, I do feel that your brain needs to register to the sound of the ATH-m50 first. Yes, it sounds nice out of the  box but it tends to get better after a few days of listening. I'm not sure if I would attribute it to burn in, but as i said I think that it's my brain and auditory functions adjusting to the strengths (and weaknesses) of the headphones.

Music choices,

I've been listening to some korean idol music with it,  (g.o.d., G-Dragon, Big Bang, Kara, among others) and it's coming off pretty well. They are usually electronic music types with lots of synthesized sounds, rhythmic beats,  and a sudden vocal explosion at the end, and it's been great.

I also listen to classical music with it (rachmaninoff, mozart), and well I think they are more suited for the electronic types. I can't put my finger on it, but it just sounds a bit dilluted? ( i really have no idea how to describe it)

Then again it may just be me :D

I hope people would find this helpful :)

Wow, I think I should look for that one

However, I'm not sure if they are selling it in my country and shipping them here may be more expensive than the turtles themselves. All I'm seeing here are the basic coil around fish bone style  which are not large enough for the thick m50 cables